Two rights groups have questioned the choice of those appointed to the Royal Commission on the Police Force, saying that more qualified persons could have been included.

Suaram co-ordinator S Arutchelvan, while welcoming the representation of such groups as Women's Aid Organisation and the Bar Council, said he was disappointed that the selection process was not transparent.

"In our memorandum to the Home Ministry, we had asked for a transparent process and for those with strong human rights background to be considered for selection," he told malaysiakini.

"Several human rights groups such as Suaram, Hakam and the Police and Human Rights Watch have not been considered although they have consistently highlighted cases of police brutality and abuse of power."

He also said that, with just 12 months to complete the full scope of its work, the commission may not have sufficient physical and financial resources to meets its deadline or do a thorough review of the police force as required.

"The commission's mandate should be based on universal human rights principles and not just our laws. For instance, the provisions of the Police Act can be problematic as they accord the police very wide powers," he said.

"We would also like to see a special review committee being set up to ensure that the commission's recommendations are implemented without delay."

Wider spectrum

Parti Reformasi Insan Malaysia pro-tem secretary-general P Uthayakumar also said he was disappointed that members of NGOs directly involved with issues of alleged police abuse had not been selected.

Asked to cite those who could have been considered, he named former Bar Council chairperson Raja Aziz Addruse, University Kebangsaan Malaysia lecturer and social activist Prof P Ramasamy, Hakam president Ramdas Tikamdas, Police Watch and Human Rights Committee chairperson RN Rajah, and Suaram Training and Human Rights Support co-ordinator S Arutchelvan.

"These are people who work on the ground and who will speak up without fear or favour. The least that should have been done was to have a combination of people drawn from a wider spectrum," he said.

"Even now it's not too late for the prime minister to incorporate these people as members, so that the commission can come up with more balanced findings."

However, Uthayakumar welcomed the appointment of Home Ministry Security and Public Order secretary Hamzah Che Rus as the commission secretary, saying this would be beneficial in getting police co-operation.

The government today announced the appointment of the 16-member royal commission that will be headed by former Chief Justice Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah.

The commission will have to complete a preliminary report into its investigations within six months, followed by a full report within the next six months.

Last December, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had announced that a royal commission would be established to look into ways to modernise the police force and restore its credibility that has been tainted by corruption and alleged use of excessive force.



Never ending list of police brutality